Business Setup in Sharjah: SPC, Hamriyah, SHAMS and SAIF Zone

Business setup in Sharjah has allowed 100% foreign ownership of mainland commercial and industrial companies since June 2021; in the free zones full foreign ownership is the norm. The Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) attached no capital requirement to that change. The free zones form a second track. SPC Free Zone serves publishing and services, SAIF Zone sits at the airport, Hamriyah covers oil and gas, manufacturing and maritime business, SHAMS takes media and SRTIP research and technology.

Our business setup services for Sharjah start by narrowing that choice to one licence. We compare the activity lists, visa allocations and premises rules of SEDD and each zone. Then we file the application with the beneficial owner declaration, handle the corporate tax registration and arrange the bank introduction. You receive a written quote built on your activity, premises and visa count.

Quick facts	Value
Local company form	Limited liability company (LLC) on the mainland, FZE or FZC at SAIF Zone, FZE-LLC or FZC-LLC at SPC Free Zone, equivalent of an LLC / private limited company
Mainland licensing authority	Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD)
Mainland foreign ownership	Up to 100% in commercial and industrial activity (June 2021 reform)
Mainland capital	No capital requirement for foreign owners; no statutory minimum for an LLC
Free zones on this page	SPC, SAIF, Hamriyah, SHAMS, SRTIP, Sharjah Healthcare City
SAIF Zone statutory capital	AED 150,000 for an FZE or FZC; none for a branch
Visas	Up to 50 per SHAMS licence; SAIF Zone investor visas valid three years, employee visas two
Corporate tax	9% on taxable income over AED 375,000, nothing below
VAT and customs	5% VAT, free zones included; customs duty, generally 5% of CIF value, on goods moved into the mainland
FTA registration deadline	Three months from incorporation

Why Founders Choose Sharjah

Four published rules carry most of the weight for a foreign founder:

Full ownership, no capital hurdle. Since June 2021 SEDD has let foreigners own 100% of commercial and industrial companies, with no capital requirement for them.
Licences in a day or less. SEDD's Instant Licence lets a business start activity within one day, and SHAMS, Hamriyah and SAIF Zone each publish licensing within a day.
Premises for goods. SAIF Zone and Hamriyah lease warehouses, so a trading or industrial company can license and store stock in the same zone.
A route into the mainland. SRTIP's dual licence covers the free zone and the mainland together.

Business Setup in Sharjah Free Zones: SPC, Hamriyah, SHAMS, SAIF and SRTIP

Every Sharjah zone runs its own regulations and activity list. Start from the activity, not the zone.

Zone	Focus	Forms or licences	Stand-out rule
SPC Free Zone	Publishing and printing, with a broad services list	FZE-LLC, FZC-LLC, branch	Beneficial owner declaration at setup
Hamriyah Free Zone	Oil and gas, food, manufacturing, maritime, logistics	Confirmed per activity	Offices, warehouses and industrial land
SHAMS	Media and creative businesses	LLC (FZ optional in the name), branch	Up to five activities per licence
SAIF Zone	Airport zone with warehouses and container yards	FZE, FZC, branch	Licence valid inside the zone only
SRTIP	Research, technology and innovation	Commercial, service, industrial, consultancy and R&D licences	Dual licence covering the mainland
Sharjah Healthcare City	Healthcare	FZ-LLC, branch	Regulated by the Sharjah Health Authority

The Dubai zones, and how they compare with these, are covered in our UAE free zone comparison. Ajman Free Zone, Ajman Media City and Ajman NuVentures Centre are covered on our business setup in Ajman page.

SPC Free Zone (Sharjah Publishing City)

SPC Free Zone, the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, is built around publishing and printing. Its broad activity list also suits consultants and service firms. Its forms are the FZE-LLC, the FZC-LLC and a branch, with 100% foreign ownership and a beneficial owner declaration at setup. SPC sets out its process on its business setup page.

Hamriyah Free Zone

Hamriyah Free Zone is Sharjah's base for heavier industry: oil and gas, food, manufacturing, maritime and logistics, alongside an accelerator hub. Space runs from executive and business centre offices to warehouses and industrial land, and the zone publishes a setup time of under an hour. We confirm the legal form and any capital requirement with the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority before filing.

SHAMS: Sharjah Media City Free Zone

SHAMS is Sharjah Media City, created by Emiri decree in 2017 for media and creative businesses. It registers an LLC, which may leave FZ out of its name, or a branch. One licence carries up to five activities and is issued online in under 60 minutes. UAE residents need no sponsor's no-objection certificate (NOC) to start a SHAMS company. Details sit on the SHAMS Free Zone site.

SAIF Zone: Sharjah Airport International Free Zone

SAIF Zone, the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, registers an FZE, an FZC or a branch. Its capital rule is fixed: AED 150,000 for an FZE or FZC, and none for a branch. Pre-built offices, warehouses and container yards come on long leases, and licences are issued on the same day. The licence covers activity inside the zone only, so goods sold into the local market pay customs duty. SAIF Zone's FAQ sets out the rules.

SRTIP: Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park

SRTIP issues commercial, service, industrial, consultancy and R&D licences to technology and research firms. Its dual licence covers the free zone and the mainland together, which suits a company selling to mainland customers from the start. Offices, coworking desks and labs are available, and licensing takes five working days at the fastest, according to its free zone setup page.

Legal Forms for a Sharjah Company

Free zone forms appear in the table above. The mainland list is longer: SEDD registers limited liability companies, general and limited partnerships, sole proprietorships, and branches of foreign and local companies. Federal law caps an LLC at 50 partners and also allows a single owner (Commercial Companies Law, Art. 71). Sole proprietorships are the exception for foreigners, since a commercial or industrial one may be owned only by UAE or GCC nationals.

What do FZE and FZC mean?

FZE is short for Free Zone Establishment, FZC for Free Zone Company. At SPC Free Zone the FZE-LLC has a single shareholder, a person or a company, and the FZC-LLC two or more; the LLC suffix marks limited liability. SAIF Zone uses the plain FZE and FZC names. Both are the free zone counterpart of a private limited company.

The Sharjah Mainland Route through SEDD

For direct sales to mainland customers, a Sharjah trade licence from SEDD is the main route, and SRTIP's dual licence the free zone alternative. Foreign investors need approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. Branches have their own rules. A foreign company's branch needs no local agent in Sharjah. Federal law still requires ministry approval, an entry in the Foreign Companies Register, separate accounts and a UAE-registered auditor (Commercial Companies Law, Arts. 336 to 338).

SEDD's licence menu:

A premises licence, in three types: commercial, professional and industrial
An electronic trading licence, which needs no premises
An accreditation licence, for several activities run from home
Birq, for young UAE nationals
The Instant Licence

We confirm eligibility for the home and online licences with SEDD case by case. The Sharjah Economic Development Department site lists each licence; licence categories and how renewal works are explained in our UAE trade licence guide.

How to Set Up a Company in Sharjah

The steps below for company formation in Sharjah follow the free zone sequence on the UAE government portal. On a SEDD file, foreign investors also need approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. As your formation agent, we run each step with SEDD or with the zone authority, which acts as registrar for its own companies:

Shortlist. Match each activity to the SEDD list or a zone list.
Form and name. Pick the legal form. The trade name must show it; in the free zones, names with religious terms or the names of authorities are refused.
Application. File through SEDD's digital services or the zone's own channel, with the documents below and the beneficial owner declaration.
Approvals. Mainland files with foreign investors wait for the General Directorate's approval, and regulated activities wait for their regulator.
Licence and premises. Collect the licence, then sign the lease for the space it needs, from a coworking desk to a warehouse.
After the licence. Apply for the immigration card and the visas, and register for corporate tax within three months of incorporation.

Documents for a Sharjah Application

Corporate shareholders need the most paperwork. Individuals send a passport copy and proof of address together with the KYC and beneficial owner forms. Founders who already hold UAE residence usually need their sponsor's no-objection letter, which SHAMS waives. A company that invests sends its certificate of incorporation, its constitution (notarised and attested) and a board resolution authorising the Sharjah investment. On the mainland the Memorandum of Association is drawn up in Arabic and authenticated in person or by electronic signature (Commercial Companies Law, Art. 14). Sharjah Healthcare City asks for a business plan only for clinical activity.

Timeline and What We Handle

Published licence times in Sharjah start at under an hour at SHAMS and Hamriyah, and SRTIP's fastest is five working days. Plan the calendar around the steps that surround the licence: the General Directorate's approval for mainland investors, corporate tax registration and visas. For a view across jurisdictions, see company formation time by country.

What we handle:

Zone or SEDD recommendation, with the activity list checked against the business plan
Trade name, application, beneficial owner declaration and lease
Corporate tax registration on EmaraTax
Investor and employee visa files, and the bank introduction

Every item appears in your written quote.

Corporate Tax, VAT and Customs in Sharjah

Federal tax law applies in every Sharjah zone. The rules that matter:

Tax	Rule for a Sharjah company
Corporate tax	Taxable income above AED 375,000 pays 9% (rate applicable in 2026); below it, 0%
Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP)	0% on qualifying income only, while every condition is met; one failed condition brings standard rates for that tax period and the next four
Small Business Relief	Applies to tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029 (Ministerial Decision No. 131 of 2026). A company whose revenue has stayed at or below AED 3 million in every period may elect to be treated as having no taxable income. QFZPs and members of multinational groups are excluded
VAT	5%; compulsory once taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 over 12 months, optional above AED 187,500
Customs duty	None on goods kept in a free zone; generally 5% of CIF value once they cross into the mainland

One Sharjah point follows from the table. SRTIP's own page still repeats the old line that a free zone means zero tax. In law the free zone 0% rate covers only a QFZP's qualifying income, and income from transactions with natural persons is excluded save for narrow exceptions. Research firms at SRTIP can also look at the R&D tax credit (Cabinet Decision No. 215 of 2025). It is non-refundable, ranges between 15% and 50% by tier and applies to periods starting on or after 1 January 2026.

For QFZP detail, see the free zone comparison referred to earlier. For the wider federal system, see the UAE company formation overview; our corporate tax comparison by country sets the rate against other jurisdictions.

Visas in Sharjah Zones

Visa rules vary by zone:

SHAMS: up to 50 visas on one licence
SAIF Zone: investor visas valid for three years, employee visas for two
Other zones: a quota tied to the package or the office, with work permits and residence visas filed by the zone authority

Every visa applicant comes to the UAE in person for the medical test and the Emirates ID biometrics. The federal side of each visa is covered in our Dubai business setup guide.

Opening a Bank Account for a Sharjah Company

Activity lists matter at the bank, so we keep a Sharjah licence's activities related to one another. A pending Emirates ID application already makes a person eligible to open a UAE bank account, as does the card itself, though every bank sets its own checks. Once the licence is issued we send UAE banks suited to the business a complete file, from the constitutional documents to the beneficial owner records. Our bank account opening service describes the introduction process.

Ongoing Obligations for Sharjah Companies

Most of the calendar is federal:

Beneficial ownership register: Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 covers the mainland and commercial free zones such as SPC, SAIF, Hamriyah, SHAMS and SRTIP. Owners holding 25% or more of capital or votes are entered within 60 days, and changes follow within 15 days. The company also names a UAE resident contact able to produce that data for the registrar (Art. 11(4)).
Audit: a SEDD LLC appoints an auditor whatever its size (Arts. 27(1) and 102 of the Commercial Companies Law). For tax, every QFZP needs audited financial statements, as does any business with revenue above AED 50 million (Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025).
Corporate tax return: filed no later than nine months after each tax period closes.
Electronic invoicing: compulsory from 1 January 2027 where revenue is AED 50 million or more. Other businesses appoint an accredited provider by 31 March 2027 and join on 1 July 2027; a business selling only to consumers stays out of scope for now.
Economic substance: nothing to file, since the regime reached only financial years ending on or before 31 December 2022.

We provide no nominee shareholders or nominee directors for Sharjah companies, whose beneficial owners are filed with the registrar under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023.

We track the deadlines above for Sharjah clients through our accounting service.

Sharjah Company Formation for Non-Residents

Living outside the UAE does not block a Sharjah company. A non-resident founder can hold all of a commercial or industrial mainland company once the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs approves the foreign investor. Free zones such as SPC state full foreign ownership outright. For a mainland LLC, federal law imposes no nationality or residence condition on managers (Commercial Companies Law, Art. 83), so a non-resident can manage it. Zone rules on managers we confirm zone by zone. SHAMS issues its licence online and SEDD runs a digital services portal, so much of the paperwork can be handled remotely. One local requirement applies everywhere: the UAE resident contact for beneficial owner data, noted in the obligations above.

The visa is different. It needs you in the UAE, as the visa section explains. Non-resident founders who want no visa at all should tell us early, because the visa count changes which package and zone make sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SPC Free Zone only for publishing companies?

No. Publishing and printing are SPC Free Zone's core sectors, but its broad activity list also suits consultants and other service firms. For tax, consultancy is not a Qualifying Activity, so fees from clients outside the free zones get the 0% rate only within the small allowance for non-qualifying revenue.

What does it take to open a Sharjah free zone company?

Choose the zone whose activity list fits the business, then the legal form, such as an FZE-LLC at SPC Free Zone or an LLC at SHAMS. Apply with passports, proof of address and the beneficial owner declaration, collect the licence and sign the lease. The FTA registration for corporate tax comes next, inside three months.

How long does business setup in Sharjah take?

The licence itself can be quick. SHAMS publishes under 60 minutes online, Hamriyah under an hour and SAIF Zone the same day, while SEDD's Instant Licence works within one day and SRTIP from five working days. Plan extra time for the General Directorate's approval on mainland files and for the visa medical and biometrics, which happen in the UAE.

What determines the total for a Sharjah business setup?

The zone and the licence type set the base. The total then moves with the number of activities, the premises, the visa count and any approvals the activity needs. We quote each Sharjah setup in writing once these are fixed. Share capital is not a fee; where a zone sets a minimum, the capital answer below gives it.

How many visas can a Sharjah free zone company get?

That depends on the zone and the package. SHAMS allows up to 50 visas per licence, and SAIF Zone grants investor visas valid for three years and employee visas valid for two. Other zones tie the quota to the office or package. Medical tests and biometrics happen in the UAE, so plan a trip.

Can a foreigner own 100% of a Sharjah mainland company?

Yes, for commercial and industrial activities: SEDD opened those licences to full foreign ownership in June 2021, and a foreign company's branch needs no local agent. Three limits remain. Foreign investors need approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. Strategic impact activities follow their federal regulator (Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021), and commercial and industrial sole proprietorships stay reserved for UAE and GCC nationals.

Is there a minimum share capital for a Sharjah company?

It depends on the zone. SAIF Zone sets AED 150,000 for an FZE or FZC and nothing for a branch. A mainland LLC has no federal minimum; its partners pick the figure and pay it in full when the company is formed. For SPC, Hamriyah, SHAMS, SRTIP and Sharjah Healthcare City we confirm the figure with the zone. See minimum share capital by country for other jurisdictions.

Can a Sharjah free zone company sell in the UAE mainland?

Not directly. In law a free zone company sits outside the mainland jurisdiction, so it reaches mainland buyers through a distributor or through its own mainland branch or company. Goods crossing into the mainland pay customs duty, generally 5% of CIF value. SRTIP's dual licence is one way round this, covering the free zone and the mainland together.

Get Started: Form Your Sharjah Company

Tell us your planned activities, whether mainland customers are in the picture and the visa count you have in mind. We then shortlist the zone or recommend the SEDD route and send a written quote, or you can start through our contact page.

Call +48 2222 5 2222 or email info@companyformation24.com to start.

Content prepared by Aleksandra Kowalska, Corporate Client Service. Approved by Tomasz Bielski, Managing Director.